Good bye to Tobacco & Alcohol (4)

Becoming a nonsmoker is a journey and a learning process. Think of this as a new beginning, with change occurring over time. As time passes, you will learn more about being a nonsmoker and will develop a new identity. You will become comfortable in life’s different situations without smoking. To be successful, you must maintain your commitment to this change over time. The new tobacco-free you will discover a world of benefits as a result of your journey. There is life after smoking, and it is truly better!

What is Alcohol Poisoning?

If you are someone who drinks alcohol it's likely you've experienced first-hand at least some of its short-term health effects, be it a hangover or a bad night's sleep. It's the longer term health effects of alcohol that people often only experience once it's too late. But it really doesn't have to be like that.

From a disturbed night's sleep to alcohol poisoning, alcohol's effects on the body can have a varying impact on our lives.

Your body can only process one unit of alcohol an hour. Drink a lot in a short space of time and the amount of alcohol in the blood can stop the body from working properly.

• Slow down your brain functions so you lose your sense of balance
• Irritate the stomach which causes vomiting and it stops your gag reflex from working properly – you can choke on, or inhale, your own vomit into your lungs
• Affect the nerves that control your breathing and heartbeat, it can stop both
• Dehydrate you, which can cause permanent brain damage
• Lower the body’s temperature, which can lead to hypothermia
• Lower your blood sugar levels, so you could suffer seizures

Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco product consumed by placing a portion of the tobacco between the cheek and gum or upper lip teeth and chewing. Unlike dipping tobacco, it is not ground and must be manually crushed with the teeth to release flavor and nicotine. Unwanted juices are then expectorated (spat). Chewing tobacco is typically manufactured as several varieties of product – most often as loose leaf (or scrap), pellets (tobacco "bites" or "bits"), and "plug" (a form of loose leaf tobacco condensed with a binding sweetener). Nearly all modern chewing tobaccos are produced via a process of leaf curing, cutting, fermentation and processing or sweetening. Historically, many American chewing tobacco brands (which were popular during the American Civil War era) were made with cigar clippings.

Smoking cessation is the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking. Tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive. Smoking cessation can be achieved with or without assistance from healthcare professionals, or the use of medications. However, a combination of personal efforts and medications proves more effective to many smokers. Methods that have been found to be effective include interventions directed at or via health care providers and health care systems; medications including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and varenicline; individual and group counselling; and Web-based or stand-alone and computer programs. Although stopping smoking can cause short-term side effects such as reversible weight gain, smoking cessation services and activities are cost-effective because of the positive health benefits.